


Carrot

by skripka



Category: Firefly
Genre: Binky the knife, Boo the gun, M/M, Unrequited Lust
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2003-08-17
Updated: 2003-08-17
Packaged: 2019-10-26 00:27:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,186
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17735534
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skripka/pseuds/skripka
Summary: Jayne figures stuff out. Mal and Simon are clueless.





	1. Chapter 1

Jayne still can’t figure stuff out.

Now, a lot of people think he’s dumb, and all. But that ain’t it. Just ‘cause you don’t got book learnin’, don’t mean you ain’t got smarts. Jayne’s got plenty of smarts.

He’d like to see that fancy-pants doc try’n track down a sniper or some such.

So. Jayne’s sitting in the galley, removing bits’n pieces from Boo, making sure every bolt is clean, every connection, smooth. And in comes Mal and the doc, talking and pointedly not touching each other. But Jayne can tell there’s something different, something… looser… between them.

He almost growls when he suddenly realizes what it is.

The two of ‘em have been ruttin’. The whole idea makes his stomach drop, and do gymnastics. But Jayne’s a good merc, an alive merc, so he can keep his cool, even when they both sit down next to each other, still not-touching. 

Mal looks up, and asks Jayne if he’s having a good time. It’s wide open shot, how can Jayne resist? “Not as good a time as the two of ya’, I reckon.” The doc flushes, and Jayne feels slightly better. Mal just looks startled.

He knew it. Mal forgot that Jayne had smarts.

The cap’n’s eyes narrow, “You oughta keep that to yourself, Jayne.” Jayne just smirks back. It’s the only way he can think of to calm his rolling gut. There’s all kinds of wrong here, and he just don’t know how to articulate what he’s feeling.

He knows it ain’t got nothing to do with the pretty doctor boy. Jayne, despite the grudging respect Simon has earned, still don’t think he’s worth any of his time. Hell, Binky is lot more important to him. Binky, Jayne can trust. The doc’s got one priority, and while Jayne understands the reasoning behind that, don’t mean he thinks it’s good for Mal.

See, now, that’s what’s bothering Jayne. He was hired to protect Mal. Well, Serenity, too, but mostly he took the job ‘causa Mal. The man had so much confidence, so much arrogance, just standin’ there, hiring him right out from under Marco’s nose. Yeah, sure, it didn’t hurt that the job came with better pay and better perks, but he wouldna taken it if the cap’n hadn’t been so… charismatic.

Mal knows it, too. Hangs it over his head like a gorram carrot at times. Worse, threatens Jayne with tossin’ him off the boat, or shoving him out the airlock. Mal might know some of it, but he don’t get the reason Jayne’s never goin’ to leave Serenity. It ain’t got nothing to do with pay, or bunks, or food. It has everything to do with the cap’n.

And god help Simon if he ever hurts Mal.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s a few days later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Most browsers should let you see translations if you hold your mouse over the Chinese/Pinyin words.

It’s a few days later, Jayne comes down the stairs to the lounge. It’s late, and he’s wandering the ship, because that’s what he does when he don’t feel like sleeping. The sight of Simon sprawled out on the couch, reading his encyclopedia, stops him short.

A brief flash of glee, that maybe Simon ain’t screwing Mal every night, that maybe… just maybe, it was a one time thing. Jayne must have made some noise, ‘cause Simon’s head jerks, and he looks up, startled.

“When did…,” Doc’s voice is hazy, and trails off when he sees Jayne’s smirk.

“Just got here myself.” Jayne’s stride is languid as he makes his way over to the couch. “Scoot over a bit there, now would ya, doc?” Simon frowns, but complies, even as he voices a complaint.

“There _are_ other chairs, you know.”

Jayne settles himself into the cushions, leaning back, arm draped over the back, deliberately invading the other man’s space. “Yeah, but I like it here,” he leers, enjoying Simon’s obvious discomfort.

The younger man, sighs, and turns his full attention to the screen. Jayne sits and admires the view for a couple‘a quiet minutes. Doc is right pretty, sometimes. Hard to blame Mal, even… grimacing, he mercilessly quashes that thought. Ain’t got no reason to think along any of those lines.

‘Sides, now’s a good time to get the doc all riled up. That’s usually good for a few laughs.

Simon starts as Jayne rumbles, “Not warming Mal’s bunk tonight?” 

Flushing, the doc still manages to sound a bit uppity. “Not that that’s any of your business, but River had a… spell… tonight.” 

“A fit, you mean.” Jayne chuckles, meanly. “She cut on anyone this time?”

The doctor stands up, real fast, and just shoves into Jayne. “Don’t…,” he grinds, “don’t you _ever_ do anything to my sister, ever again.”

“Whoa, Doc,” Jayne’s startled by the forcefulness of Simon’s mood change. He tries to relax back, and not shove in retaliation, but finds himself distracted by the heat of hands on his chest. “Weren’t planning to do nothing.”

Simon snorts. “Like you weren’t ‘planning’ anything before Ariel.” He stands up straight, smoothing his clothing.

This time, Jayne feels the warmth on the back of his neck. He mutters, “Learned my lesson.”

“I should hope so.” 

They stay still, just studying each other for a few minutes. Jayne is the first to speak. “Mal know that you care more for moonbrain than him?”

Simon reacts to that, badly. “What?”

He’s on a roll, now, gonna get a few things off his chest. “You tell Mal about how you feel yet? ‘Cause I’m thinking he don’t quite get this whole, ‘Lil’ sis first, the ‘verse take the hind end’ bit down.”

“Mal knows…,” doc swallows, again. “I mean, he knows that River is my first priority.”

“You positive about that, pretty doctor boy?” Jayne lets his eyes trail over Simon’s body. “Now, I’m sure that cap’n’s got his reasons for letting you into his bed, but I know Mal, he’s a possessive _hundan._ Doubt he’s ever thought about the choice might have to be…,” his voice trails off, ominously. Simon looks panicked.

There’s sweat on his forehead, just a moment longer. “You can’t…,” Simon’s hands fly up, helplessly, as he stutters. “You won’t tell him?” he whispers, as his head drops in defeat.

“Tell ‘im what?”

“ _Tianna_ , Jayne, what do you want me to do?” Jayne grins at the desperation in the boy’s eyes. But he’s still startled when Simon straddles his lap. “I’ll do anything. Just… don’t…” and there’s a hot tongue licking his neck, a hard young body grinding against him. Jayne is too stunned to react.

Not for long, though. “ _Wu de mah_!” Jayne exclaims triumphantly, as he pushes Simon roughly to the floor “I get you now, little _jinu_.” 

The younger man looks absolutely broken. Kneeling up, pleading, he asks, “Jayne…,”

Smirking, Jayne stands, and towers over Simon. “Nah, figure that’s between the two of us.” Leaning down, he breathes in the smaller man’s ear. “Why don’t you try telling him that you’re whorin’ yourself to him, just to keep your place solid on this boat, see how that goes over.” By the time Simon can come up with a retort, Jayne has disappeared into the cargo bay, feeling the urge to do something physical.

**Author's Note:**

> For the "show, don’t tell non-schmoopy love" and "couch" challenges for the contrelamontre Community on LJ. Done in 40 minutes and 45 minutes, not counting editing and the gorram formatting.


End file.
